Freelance Electrical Motor Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Electrical Motor Design Engineer

Job Description

The Electrical Motor Design Engineer will lead the cradle-to-grave design and development of motors and electromagnetic devices for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. This hands-on role spans the full product lifecycle, including concept development, requirements definition, simulation, material selection, prototyping, testing, qualification, release, customer interaction, and sustaining engineering. The position is ideal for an engineer who brings deep technical expertise in motor and electromagnetic product design, strong documentation discipline, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a high-reliability electromechanical environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop PMDC, wound-field DC, and AC induction motors, as well as related electromagnetic devices such as RVDTs, LVDTs, synchros, resolvers, and other feedback devices.
• Perform electromagnetic simulations, trade studies, and material selection to validate performance, efficiency, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Develop motor electrical architectures, winding approaches, electrical interfaces, and comprehensive design documentation from concept through release.
• Support integration of motors with drives, control electronics, sensors, and interface circuitry to ensure robust system performance.
• Create, update, and maintain drawing packages, 3D models, bills of material (BOMs), calculations, specifications, and all supporting technical documentation.
• Provide hands-on support for prototype builds, including lab-based troubleshooting, validation testing, qualification testing, and environmental testing.
• Lead and support root-cause investigations and implement corrective actions to address design or performance issues.
• Interface directly with customers to clarify requirements, address technical issues, and resolve product performance concerns.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, manufacturing, quality, test, and program teams to support both new product development and sustaining engineering activities.
• Analyze test data and prototype performance using appropriate engineering tools and sound analytical methods to drive design decisions.
• Support FMEA activities, MTBF and reliability analyses, and design improvement initiatives to enhance product robustness and lifecycle performance.
• Research and evaluate new materials, technologies, and methods to improve motor performance, durability, and producibility.
• Contribute to and uphold a high-reliability engineering culture suitable for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 5–7 years of current motor or electromagnetic product design experience.
• Proven experience designing and developing motors and electromagnetic devices, including motors, actuators, resolvers, synchros, or feedback devices.
• Strong understanding of electromagnetic design principles, motor topologies, and product performance tradeoffs.
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, laboratory troubleshooting, validation testing, and qualification support.
• Ability to support programs from concept through release and into sustaining engineering.
• Strong documentation discipline with the ability to prepare and release complete engineering deliverables.
• Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration skills and effective customer-facing communication abilities.
• Ability to support both new product development and sustaining engineering work in parallel.
• Experience with electromechanical engineering concepts and the interaction of electrical and mechanical components.
• Familiarity with analog and digital circuits as they relate to motor drives, control electronics, and interface circuitry.
• Experience with reliability analysis methods such as FMEA and MTBF.
• Proficiency with electromagnetic simulation tools or workflows used to validate performance, efficiency, and manufacturability.
• Eligibility to work on export-controlled programs as a U.S. Person, in accordance with applicable regulations.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Ansys Electronics Desktop, RMxprt, and/or Simcenter Magnet for electromagnetic modeling and analysis.
• Familiarity with engineering analysis tools such as Mathcad for calculations and documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or similar productivity tools for reports, presentations, and communication.
• Experience with document and configuration management tools such as Adept or similar systems.
• Experience in motor drives, power electronics integration, and electrical interface development.
• Familiarity with aerospace and defense qualification standards such as DO-160 and MIL-STD-810 or similar environments.
• Experience working on high-reliability aerospace, defense, industrial, or motion-control products.
• Experience supporting formal qualification efforts, customer technical reviews, and production transition activities.
• Knowledge of PCB design and PCB layout as they relate to motor drives and control electronics.
• Strong foundation in electromagnetism and electrical engineering principles applied to electromechanical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to research and apply new materials, technologies, and methods to enhance motor performance and producibility.

Work Environment

This role is based in Wichita, KS, within a business focused on motors and actuators for high-reliability applications. The work environment combines office and engineering lab settings, offering a balance of design, analysis, and hands-on activities. You will regularly work in the lab supporting prototype builds, troubleshooting, testing, and qualification efforts, while also spending time in an office environment preparing documentation, conducting simulations, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The culture emphasizes rigorous engineering practices, reliability, and close collaboration across mechanical, manufacturing, quality, test, and program functions to support both development and sustaining programs.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Wichita, KS.

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $70.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Wichita,KS.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 17, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.